Wake Forest to Play Missouri in 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl

Wake Forest Bowl Central | From the Quad with Director of Athletics John Currie

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University has accepted an invitation to play Southeastern Conference representative Missouri in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, Dec. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN.

Wake Forest's appearance in the Gasparilla Bowl will mark the first time the Demon Deacons will have played a postseason game in Tampa, but the program has a lot of experience with bowl games in the Sunshine State. Overall, this will mark Wake Forest's fifth bowl experience in Florida and its second-straight as the Deacs defeated Rutgers in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl a season ago.

Additionally, this marks the Deacs' first-ever appearance in the Gasparilla Bowl, which began in 2008 with 2022 representing the 14th edition of the event.

Wake Forest's matchup with the Missouri Tigers will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Demon Deacon have won their last two matchups against SEC opponents, defeating Vanderbilt on the road earlier this season and Texas A&M in the 2017 Belk Bowl.

Additionally, this will make three consecutive bowl games that the Demon Deacons will play at NFL venues, playing at TIAA Bank Stadium in the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and Bank of America Stadium in the 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl.

Purchase Your Tickets Now
Tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. Fans can click here to purchase tickets or contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 to place their order. The Ticket Office is open today, Sunday, December 4 from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. to process bowl game ticket orders. The Ticket Office will be open 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday and is open on Sunday (today) from 4-6 p.m.

The priority deadline to purchase tickets is Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. Fans will be able to purchase tickets within a ticket price level and have seats assigned following the priority deadline. Exact price levels and sections are subject to availability. If the initial allotment of Wake Forest tickets sell out, Wake Forest will attempt to obtain additional tickets outside of its first block.

Purchasing by Tuesday's priority deadline will help fans receive the best possible seats for the Deacs' trip to the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. Tickets will be assigned following the deadline with priority given to Deacon Club rank and Football Season Ticket Holder status.

Ticket Price Levels (subject to availability):
$75 - 100 & 200 Level Seats
$50 - 100 & 200 Level Seats

If you are not a current Deacon Club member and wish to join for an opportunity to improve your ticket assignment, please call the Deacon Club at 336-758-5626.

All tickets will be sent via mobile delivery. There are no printed tickets available for Raymond James Stadium.

Details regarding student ticketing and tailgate options are being finalized and more information will be available soon and communicated to all Wake Forest students.

Parking Passes
Please click here to purchase parking passes from the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl website directly.

Quotes:
Head Coach Dave Clawson:
"I'm excited for our football program to have the opportunity to compete one more time together in our seventh-straight bowl game as we attempt to win a bowl championship. We are thrilled and honored to be the ACC representative in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. Tampa is a city with a lot of Wake Forest fans and alums and I have a lot of respect for Coach Eliah Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers football program. I look forward to being in Florida and beginning preparations for this exciting bowl game with our staff."

Director of Athletics John Currie:
"The Deacs are going back to the Sunshine State! We were delighted to get the phone call earlier today from Executive Director Scott Glaser inviting Wake Forest to play the Missouri Tigers of the Southeastern Conference in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. I am honored to accept on behalf of President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D., Coach Dave Clawson and our student-athletes. As we extend the ACC's second-longest bowl streak to seven seasons, celebrate 12 Demon Deacons being named All-ACC, and a record-setting attendance season inside Truist Field, we are excited about the opportunity to achieve an eight-win season for just the 10th time in program history in the Gasparilla Bowl. The Friday, Dec. 23rd date is a perfect way for Deacon fans to take advantage of school vacations, have some fun in the sun and still get home in time to put the milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve! We encourage fans to visit Wake Forest's Bowl Central webpage now for details on tickets, travel packages, fun events, and more for all Wake Forest fans, students, alumni, parents, and friends to celebrate together. I can't wait to see Tampa painted in Old Gold & Black!"

Pregame Events & Travel Information
Wake Forest is currently finalizing details on official events for the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. Details on the pre-game events, including registration and pricing, will be released in the coming days.

Travel information, including on from Winston-Salem and fan hotel opportunities, is also being finalized and will be released later this week. If you are interested in receiving updated information about the official events or travel options please click here to fill out a brief survey to ensure you are the first to receive this information once it is finalized.

Most importantly, if you are planning to join the Deacs in Tampa, buy your tickets now! Pregame events and travel packages will not include a game ticket.

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Team/Individual Stats of Note:

On Oct. 22, the Demon Deacons extended the conference's second-longest bowl streak to seven-consecutive seasons.
- Head coach Dave Clawson's four bowl wins are tied for the seventh-most Bowl/CFP victories in ACC history and with one more he would move into the top five in league history.
- The four Bowl/CFP Victories are also tied for the second most among active ACC coaches.
- Under Clawson, Wake Forest has set a new standard of success that includes qualifying for its program record seventh-straight bowl game. He also owns the school record with four bowl victories.

Team Notes

Since the start of the 2016 season, the Deacs are tied for the second-most wins in the ACC not counting the COVID-shortened 2020 season:
- Clemson -- 72
- Wake Forest -- 48
- Pitt- 45
- NC State- 45
- Miami- 43
Additionally over the last five years, the Deacs have the second-most wins in a single five-year period:
- 38 (2017-21)
- 37 (2018-22)
- 36 (2004-08 & 2006-10)
- 34 (2016-20)
- 33 (2015-19)
- 31 (1944-48)
After scoring 44 points in Week 1 vs. VMI, 45 points in Week 2 at Vanderbilt, 37 points in Week 3 vs. Liberty, 45 points in Week 4 vs. Clemson, 31 points in Week 5 at Florida State, 45 points in Week 6 vs. Army, 43 points in Week 8 vs. Boston College, 21 points in Week 9 vs. Louisville, 21 points in week 10 vs. NC State, 34 points in week 11 vs. North Carolina, 45 points in week 12 vs. Syracuse and 31 points in week 13 vs. Duke, Wake Forest's 442 total points is near the pace of the single season scoring record set last season (574).
- Scoring through Week 12
  - 2021: 515 Points
  - 2022: 442 Points
- From 2017-21, Wake Forest has produced the four highest scoring seasons in school history with each club scoring better. With Nick Sciba's third quarter field goal against Clemson last season, the Deacs broke its all-time scoring record for a single season with 474 combined points in 11 games, besting the previous record of 459 points set in 2017.
- The Demon Deacons finished the season with 574 points, becoming the first Wake Forest team to cross over the 500-point mark in school history while also setting the school record with 41.0 points per game.
- Wake Forest became just the 20th ACC team in the college football modern era (Post-WWII) to cross over the milestone of 500 points scored in a single season. The Deacs finished seventh in ACC scoring history.
Through 12 games into the 2022 season, Wake Forest is averaging 36.8 points per game. And with the point total as it stands, Wake Forest has guaranteed its sixth consecutive season of averaging 30 or more points a game. This is the longest active streak and the fourth longest in ACC history.
- Entering the 2022 season, Wake Forest is the only program in the Atlantic Coast Conference to average at least 30.0 per game in each of the last five seasons. This is tied for the fourth longest streak in ACC history:
  - 12 - Florida State (1992-03)
  - 10 - Clemson (2011-20)
  - 8 - Florida State (2008-16)
  - 6 - Wake Forest (2017-22)
  - 5 - North Carolina (2012-16)
Following the six-yard rushing touchdown by Justice Ellison in the first quarter on Saturday, the Demon Deacons have now produced a rushing score in 26 of their last 27 games dating back to Dec. 12, 2020 at Louisville. The only game during this run without a rushing score was in Week 4 vs. Clemson.
Since the start of the 2017 season, Wake Forest's 182 touchdown passes are the most of any school in the ACC and that total ranks eighth nationally during that span. Additionally during that span, the Deacs 329 total touchdowns are the second-most in the ACC behind Clemson and rank 12th nationally.
- North Carolina (165) and Clemson (159) trail the Deacs in passing touchdowns during that span entering Week 13.
- The Tigers entered Week 13 with 394 total touchdowns and the Tar Heels trail the Deacs with 308.
Wake Forest has now thrown for 42 touchdowns as a team this season. The program record was set last season with 39 passing touchdowns.

Sam Hartman Records Watch:

Sam Hartman broke the Wake Forest all-time passing mark against Liberty, eclipsing Riley Skinner (2006-09) with a five-yard pass to Ke'Shawn Williams in the third quarter. With 347 yards today against Duke, he has now thrown for 12,687 career passing yards.
- Sam Hartman (2018-present), 12,687
- Riley Skinner (2006-09), 9,762
- Tanner Price (2010-13), 8,899
- John Wolford (2014-17), 8,794
- Brian Kuklick (1994-98), 8,017
Hartman is the 41st player in NCAA history and just the third passer in the history of the ACC to eclipse the 12,000-yard passing barrier for his career, joining elite company. Last week, Hartman passed Kenny Pickett and is remains second in ACC history in this category:
- 1. Philip Rivers, NC State (2000-03) 13,484
- 2. Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (2018-Pres.) 12,687
- 3. Kenny Pickett, Pitt (2017-21) 12,303
- 4. Tajh Boyd, Clemson (2010-13) 11,904
- 5. Ryan Finley, NC State (2014-18) 10,501
- 6. Sam Howell, North Carolina (2019-21) 10,283
- 7. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (2014-16) 10,168
- 8. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2018-20) 10,098
- 9. Thaddeus Lewis, Duke (2006-09) 10,065
- 10. Brad Kaaya, Miami (2014-16) 9,968
Hartman already holds the program record with 107 career touchdown passes, which he added to with three passing scores on Saturday. With that, Hartman tied Tajh Boyd for the most touchdown passes in ACC history. He is on track to pass Boyd with one guaranteed game remaining this season.
- 1. Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (2018-Present) – 107
- Tajh Boyd, Clemson (2010-13) – 107
- 3. Philip Rivers, NC State (2000-03) – 95
- 4. Sam Howell, North Carolina (2019-21) – 92
- 5. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (2014-16) – 90
- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2018-20) – 90
- 7. Kenny Pickett, Pitt (2017-21) – 81
- 8. Chris Weinke, Florida State (1997-00) – 79
- 9. Russell Wilson, NC State (2008-10) – 76
- Additionally, his 104 passing touchdowns ranks 23rd in NCAA history and he is tied with former Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett.
- He was just the 26th QB in FBS history to cross over the 100 touchdown mark for his career.
Among active players, Hartman has the most career passing touchdowns in the FBS. Houston's Clayton Tune trails Hartman by five touchdowns going into week 13.
With 107 career passing touchdowns and 17 career rushing scores, Hartman's 124 total touchdowns are the second most in conference history:
- 1. Tajh Boyd, Clemson (2010-13) – 133
- 2 Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (2018-Present) – 124
- 3. Malik Cunningham, Louisville (2018-Pres.) – 119
- Lamar Jackson, Louisville (2015-17) – 119
- 5. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (2014-16) – 116
- 6. Philip Rivers, NC State (2000-03) – 113
- 7. Sam Howell, North Carolina (2019-21) – 111
- 8. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2018-20) – 108
- 9. Kenny Pickett, Pitt (2017-21) – 102
- 10. Marquise Williams, North Carolina (2012-15) – 99
Among active players, Hartman ranks first in the Power-5 in total touchdowns, two ahead of Louisville's Malik Cunningham.
Additionally with Louisville's Malik Cunningham having his streak of 30 consecutive games with a TD responsible for coming to an end in Week 1 at Syracuse and Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel's streak of 29-straight games coming to an end two weeks ago against TCU, Hartman's streak of 33-straight games with a TD now leads the FBS.

Additional Individual Notes

With one touchdown catch on Saturday, redshirt junior wide receiver A.T. Perry has recorded 28 career touchdown receptions, the most by a Demon Deacon wideout in program history.
- Perry tied Ricky Proehl's (1986-89) previous program record in the first quarter last week before rewriting the record book with 5:07 remaining in the first half on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Sam Hartman. Perry snagged another touchdown grab late in the first half to give Wake Forest a 24-21 lead.
  - 1. A.T. Perry (2018-Present), 28
  - 2. Ricky Proehl (1986-89), 25
  - 3. Todd Dixon (1990-93), 22
  - 4. Cam Serigne (2014-17), 21
  - Red O'Quinn (1946-49), 21
  - Chris Givens (2009-11), 21
  - 6. Desmond Clark (1995-98), 20
  - 8. Kenny Duckett (1978-81), 19
  - 9. Greg Dortch (2017-18), 17
  - Jaquarii Roberson (2017-21), 17
Perry's career touchdown reception total ranks tied for seventh in ACC history.
- 1. Clarkston Hines 38 (1986-89; Duke)
- 2. Peter Warrick 32 (1995-99; Florida State)
- 3. Torry Holt 31 (1995-98; North Carolina State)
- 4. Greg Carr 29 (2005-08; Florida State)
- E.G. Green 29 (1994-97; Florida State)
- Rashad Greene 29 (2011-14; Florida State)
- 7. Tyrone Davis 28 (1991-94; Virginia)
- Calvin Johnson 28 (2004-06; Georgia Tech)
- A.T. Perry 28 (2018-22; Wake Forest)
- 10.Zay Flowers 27 (2019-22; Boston College)
- Tee Higgins 27 (2017-19; Clemson)
- Deandre Hopkins 27 (2010-12; Clemson)
- Herman Moore 27 (1988-90; Virginia)
- Sammy Watkins 27 (2011-13; Clemson)
With his six-yard reception in the first quarter, redshirt junior wide receiver A.T. Perry extended his consecutive games with a catch streak to 33 games. That total ranks tied for 14th in the nation entering all of Week 12 games.
- The total is the most amongst Power-5 receivers:
  - 1. Jacob Cowing WR Arizona 42
  - Zakhari Franklin WR UTSA 42
  - 3. Chris Autman-Bell* WR Minnesota 41
  - 4. Rashee Rice WR SMU 38
  - 5. Mitchell Tinsley WR Penn State 36
  - Joshua Cephus WR UTSA 36
  - Yo'Heinz Tyler WR Ball State 35
  - Jayshon Jackson WR Ball State 35
  - Xavier Hutchinson WR Iowa State 35
  - Tayvion Robinson WR Kentucky 35
  - 11. Michael Mayer TE NDU 34
  - 12. A.T. Perry WR Wake 33
  - Hassan Beydoun WR E-Michigan 33
  - Jalen Moreno-Cropper WR Fresno St. 33
  - Jo'quavious Marks WR Miss. State 33
  - 16. Odieu Hiliare WR BGSU 32
  - Parker Washington WR Penn State 32
  - Brant Kuithe* TE Utah 32
  - 19. Smoke Harris WR La. Tech 30
  - 20. Jayden Reed WR Mich. State 29
Perry also moved into the top 10 in program history in career receptions and is tied for the most in the Dave Clawson era by a wide receiver:
- Career Receptions
- 1. Michael Campanaro (2010-13) 229
- 2. Desmond Clark (1995-98) 216
- 3. Ricky Proehl (1986-89) 188
- 4. Jammie Deese (1996-99) 184
- 5, Cam Serigne (2014-17) 174
- 6. Chris Givens (2009-11) 163
- 7. Thabiti Davis (1994-97) 161
- 8. AT Perry (2018-pres.) 160
- 9. James Brim (1983-86) 153
- 10. John Henry Mills (1988-92) 142
- Greg Dortch (2017-18) 142
Additionally, Perry now is the Clawson era receiving yards leader and ranks third in program history in that category:
- CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
- 1. Ricky Proehl (1986-89) 2,949
- 2. Desmond Clark (1995-98) 2,834
- 3. AT Perry (2018-Pres.) 2,546
- 3. Michael Campanaro (2010-13) 2,506
- 4. Chris Givens (2009-11) 2,473
- 6. Wayne Baumgardner (1978-81) 2,431
- 7. Jammie Deese (1996-99) 2,348
- 8. Todd Dixon (1990-93) 2,300
- 9. Jaquarii Roberson (2017-21) 2,158
- 10. Cam Serigne (2014-17) 2,075
- 11. Jason Anderson (2001-04) 2,066
- 12. James Brim (1983-86) 2,040
Perry and Donavon Greene have been some of the most explosive receivers in program history:
Career Avg. Per Reception (min. 75 Rec.)
- 1. Donavon Greene (2019-Pres.) 18.5 (78/1,446)
- 2. Jason Anderson (2001-04) 18.0 (115/2,066)
- 3. Wayne Baumgardner (1978-81) 17.24 (141/2,431)
- 4. Todd Dixon (1990-93) 17.16 (134/2,300)
- 5. AT Perry (2018-Pres.) 15.9 (160/2,546)
- 6. Ricky Proehl (1986-89) 15.7 (188/2,949)
- Fabian Davis (1999-02) 15.6 (100/1,557)
- 8. Red O'Quinn (1946-49) 15.28 (124/1,895)
- 9. Scotty Washington (2016-19) 15.24 (110/1,676)
- 10. Chris Givens (2009-11) 15.172 (163/2,473)
- 11. Sage Surratt (2018-19) 14.8 (107/1,582)
- 12. Jaquarii Roberson (2017-21) 14.8 (146/2,158)
- 13. Bill Millner (1973-76) 14.37 (75 of 1078)
Ryan Smenda, Jr. inched up on the Wake Forest all-time tackles list on Saturday, recording 10 tackles. This moved him up into ninth on the all-time list and gave the senior sole possession of the most tackles by a Demon Deacon since 2000.
- Two weeks ago, Smenda, Jr. eclipsed his previous high for tackles in a season.
- Coming into the week, his 9.6 tackles per game ranked fourth in the ACC.
- Wake Forest Top-5 Tackles since 2000
  - 1. Ryan Smenda (2018-Pres) 344
  - 2. Aaron Curry (2005-08) 332
  - 3. Ryan Janvion (2013-16) 328
  - 4. Brandon Chubb (2012-15) 326
  - 5. Jon Abbate (2004-06) 297
  - 6. Marquel Lee (2013-16) 291
- Wake Forest Career Tackle Leaders
  - 1. Ed Stetz (1969-71): 460
  - 2. Carlos Bradley (1978-80): 431
  - 3. Kevin Giles (1991-94):410
  - 4. Bill Armstrong (1973-76): 402
  - 5. Kelvin Moses (1994-99): 399
  - 6. Ernie Purnsley (1985-88): 385
  - 7. Reggie McCummings (1983-85): 374
  - 8. Jimmie Simmons (1984-87): 346
  - 9. Ryan Smenda (2018-Pres): 344
  - 10. Aaron Curry (2005-08): 332
  - 11. Ryan Janvion (2013-16): 328
  - 12. Brandon Chubb (2012-15): 326
  - 13. Marc Hester (1977-79): 322
  - 14. Rory Holt (1982-86): 319

Bowl History
The Deacs are 10-6 all-time in bowl games.

1946 Gator Bowl -- January 1, 1946

Wake Forest, 26; South Carolina, 14
- Wake Forest's first-ever postseason appearance came in the inaugural Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., and Coach Peahead Walker's squad made that initial bowl trip a successful one, defeating South Carolina, 26-14. A crowd of more than 10,000 fans was on hand to witness the rematch between the two future ACC members who had played to a 13-13 tie earlier in the season. This time Wake took control at the outset, capping its opening possession with a three-yard run by Nick Sacrinty. A missed extra-point, however, resulted in the Gamecocks taking a 7-6 lead with the only score of the second quarter. The Deacs regained the lead and took control in the second half behind their bruising ground attack. Rock Brinkley finished off two time-consuming drives with short TD runs of five and four yards, then Bob Smathers clinched the verdict with a 20-yard run on a reverse. The 378 yards rushing in the game stood as a Wake Forest single game record for 22 years. The victory culminated a dramatic turnaround season that had started with three straight losses but ended at 5-3-1.

1949 Dixie Bowl -- January 1, 1949

Wake Forest, 7; Baylor, 20
- Three years after competing in the first Gator Bowl, the Demon Deacons were invited to Birmingham, Ala., to compete in the second -- and last -- Dixie Bowl. Unlike that first postseason experience, though, this venture proved unfulfilling from a won-lost standpoint as Wake Forest dropped a hard-fought 20-7 contest to Baylor in what was frequently referred to at the time as the "Battle of the Baptists." A crowd of over 20,000 was in attendance as Baylor jumped out to a 20-0 lead with three touchdowns in the first half, two coming on lengthy drives, the third following a long pass interception. The Deacs of Coach Peahead Walker refused to quit, however, and rallied to pull within striking distance on a TD by Mike Sprock in the third period after recovering a Baylor fumble. Wake went on to control most of the game and held the advantage statistically overall (six more first downs, 63 more yards in total offense), but never could reach paydirt again. The contest marked the first time that a Wake Forest football team had played in a January bowl game. The Demon Deacons finished the season with a 6-4 record.

1979 Tangerine Bowl -- December 22, 1979

Wake Forest, 10; LSU, 34
- After a 30-year absence from the bowl scene, Wake Forest completed one of the most surprising stories in college football in 1979 with a visit to the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla. The Demon Deacons earned that trip and a pairing against an emotional LSU squad, playing its final game under veteran coach Charlie McClendon by compiling an 8-3 regular season mark and attaining a national ranking in the top 20. The Tigers seized the momentum early with touchdown drives on their first two possessions. Wake Forest, meanwhile, was struggling offensively and committed three turnovers before Phil Denfeld made the score 24-3 with a field goal as the first half ended. Coach John Mackovic's Deacs came back to play much better after intermission, taking the second half kickoff and scoring their lone TD of the night on an eight-play drive that ended with a 34-yard pass from Jay Venuto to Wayne Baumgardner. Two other drives into LSU territory were halted, though, and the SEC power eventually built its advantage with 10 more points in the final period.

1992 Independence Bowl -- December 31, 1992

Wake Forest, 39; Oregon, 35
- Wake Forest staged a stirring second half rally for a 39-35 victory over Oregon before 31,337 fans and a national television audience on ESPN, concluding a stunning year in appropriate fashion. The Deacons had been 1-3 in September until reeling off six straight wins to climb into the national polls for the first time in 13 years and capture the imagination of college football followers everywhere. Oregon held the upper hand early, taking advantage of four first-half turnovers to build a 22-10 halftime lead, then adding another TD late in the third period that left the Deacs trailing, 29-10, with less than 20 minutes remaining in the game. Ned Moultrie scored on a short run, then Todd Dixon, who was named the game's Most Outstanding Player, exploded with TD receptions of 30 and 61 yards in less than four minutes to give his team a 31-29 edge that it would never relinquish. John Leach, who ran for 116 yards, added what proved to be the deciding score later in the final quarter. Dixon finished with five receptions for 166 yards and two TDs, while veteran coach Bill Dooley completed his outstanding career with victory No. 162.

1999 Aloha Bowl -- December 25, 1999

Wake Forest, 23; Arizona State, 3
- A Wake Forest team anchored by 26 seniors earned the first winning season and first bowl bid in head coach Jim Caldwell's tenure. That veteran leadership helped the Deacs to an impressive 23-3 win over Arizona State in the nationally-televised Jeep Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day. Both teams got off to a slow start offensively, and the score was tied 3-3 at intermission. The Deacs got rolling in the second half, however, blanking ASU 20-0. After another field goal, Wake broke the game open as quarterback Ben Sankey hit Coach's son, Jimmy Caldwell, across the middle, and Caldwell scampered 56 yards into the endzone. The Sun Devils managed just 42 yards of offense after that point, as Morgan Kane's 1-yard TD leap and Matt Burdick's third field goal provided the final margin. Sankey earned Bowl MVP honors, passing for 188 yards and rushing for 56. The Deacon defense was stifling, holding the Sun Devils to just 164 yards of total offense. Adrian Duncan led the defense with eight tackles and a sack, while Fred Robbins collected three sacks.

2002 Seattle Bowl -- December 30, 2002

Wake Forest, 38; Oregon, 17
- In his last game at WFU, James MacPherson passed for a season-high 241 yards and two touchdowns as the Deacons beat Oregon 38-17 in the Seattle Bowl. MacPherson, who also ran for a score, hit Jason Anderson with TD tosses of 57 and 63 yards to earn MVP honors. Wake Forest (7-6) finished with a winning record for the second straight year. The Deacons last had consecutive winning seasons in 1987-88. The second annual Seattle Bowl marked the first meeting between the Ducks and Demon Deacons since Dec. 31, 1992 in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. Wake Forest also won that game, 39-35. Entering the game, Wake Forest was ranked eighth nationally in rushing offense, averaging 239.9 yards a game. The Deacs ran for 256 against Oregon, even with their early emphasis passing. The Ducks opened the game with a 45-yard field goal, but Wake Forest answered with a seven-play, 65-yard drive, topped by Ovie Mughelli's one-yard touchdown run. MacPherson found Anderson for a 57-yard scoring pass early in the second quarter to push Wake's lead to 14-3. MacPherson also added a one-yard touchdown dash just before halftime. MacPherson, who had just six touchdown passes going into the game, closed the third quarter with his 63-yard touchdown pass to Anderson. Chris Barclay added a 12-yard TD run late in the game for the final margin. Anderson caught three passes for a career-best 157 yards.

2007 FedEx Orange Bowl -- January 2, 2007

Wake Forest, 13; Louisville, 24
- No. 15 Wake Forest lost 24-13 to No. 5 Louisville in the Orange Bowl in the Deacons' first BCS appearance. And for a team which made its name on winning the close games, losing one to end the season was tough to take. The Deacons (11-3) entered as 10-point underdogs, and did an effective job of keeping Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm in check during the first half, holding him to 7-of-13 passing for 79 yards at halftime.

2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl -- December 29, 2007

Wake Forest, 24; UConn, 10
- Behind do-it-all receiver Kenneth Moore and a swarming defense full of big plays, Wake Forest rallied to beat fellow upstart Connecticut 24-10 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. The Demon Deacons had to come from behind to do it, reeling off the final 24 points after falling behind 10-0 at halftime against the Huskies, who were playing in only their second bowl game. Riley Skinner completed 29 of 38 passes for 268 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and ACC rookie of the year Josh Adams rushed for 81 yards and a score. Linebacker Stanley Arnoux highlighted a series of big plays for Wake Forest with an interception and two fourth-down stops.

2008 Eaglebank Bowl -- December 20, 2008

Wake Forest, 29; Navy, 19
- Riley Skinner went 11-for-11 and threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to Ben Wooster with 7:52 left, leading Wake Forest to a 29-19 comeback victory over the Midshipmen in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl to open the 2008 bowl season. He finished with 166 yards passing and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. It was a rematch of a September game played at Wake Forest, when Navy took advantage of five turnovers by Skinner--four interceptions and a fumble--to pull off a 24-17 upset.

2011 Music City Bowl -- December 30, 2011

Wake Forest, 17; Mississippi State, 23
- Mississippi State withstood a late Wake Forest rally to down the Demon Deacons 23-17 in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl at LP Field in Nashville. The Deacons (6-7) fell victim to Mississippi State's (7-6) potent rushing attack as Vick Ballard ran for a career-high 180 yards and two touchdowns to head up the Bulldogs' 255 yards on the ground. The loss overshadowed a career day for Wake Forest redshirt sophomore Michael Campanaro who caught 10 passes for 128 yards - both career highs. Wake Forest forced four turnovers, its second-highest total of the season. Two of them came on interceptions by Duran Lowe, the first of his career, and Merrill Noel, along with fumble recoveries by Nikita Whitlock and Kenny Okoro to keep the Deacons within striking distance for the entire contest.

2016 Military Bowl -- December 27, 2016

Wake Forest, 34; Temple, 26
- Wake Forest jumped out to a 31-7 lead and held on to defeat No. 23-ranked Temple, 34-26, to claim the 2016 Military Bowl inside Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 27. The victory was the Demon Deacons' first bowl win since 2008, and the first victory over a ranked team since 2011. After the Owls (10-4) cut Wake Forest's (7-6) lead to 31-26 with 3:39 remaining, John Armstrong returned a kickoff 80 yards, leading to a Mike Weaver field goal with 1:59 left. Temple returned the kickoff to its own 47-yard-line and completed a 9-yard pass, but the Deacons' defense held strong with a pass breakup by Thomas Brown and a tackle for loss by Duke Ejiofor, then an incomplete pass for a turnover on downs. Wake Forest entered victory formation and twice took a knee to seal the win. Brown was named the Military Bowl MVP for his efforts on defense. He tied for the team lead with seven tackles, also adding a sack, 2.5 TFLs and a forced fumble, helping the Deacons shut down the Owl rushing game, limited to -20 yards.

2017 Belk Bowl -- December 29, 2017

Wake Forest, 55; Texas A&M, 52
- Wake Forest and Texas A&M engaged in the most entertaining bowl game of the season as the Demon Deacons came away with a 55-52 win over the Aggies on Dec. 29 in the Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. The game was a back-and-forth affair all afternoon and wasn't settled until Wake Forest running back Matt Colburn scored on a one-yard run with just 2:18 to play. The Deacon defense then forced the Aggies into a fourth down incompletion with 28 seconds remaining to seal the win. The contest featured five lead changes and over 1,200 yards of total offense. The two teams combined to set NCAA bowl game records for total offense plays (191) and pass completions (74) by both teams. Wake Forest was led by quarterback John Wolford who, in his final college game, completed 32 of 49 passes for 400 yards and four touchdowns. Colburn had 150 yards on 21 carries including an electric 66-yard run. Wide receiver Scotty Washington caught nine passes for 138 yards and a score while tight end Cam Serigne had a touchdown reception to go with nine catches and 112 yards receiving. Linebacker Jaboree Williams led the Deacon defense with 11 tackles and an interception while safety Cam Glenn and linebacker Justin Strnad each had 10 tackles in the contest.

2018 Birmingham Bowl -- December 22, 2018

Wake Forest, 37; Memphis, 34
- Jamie Newman engineered his second last-second comeback victory in four starts as Wake Forest won its third straight bowl game with a 37-34 victory over Memphis in the Jared Birmingham Bowl. Memphis led 34-30 with 1:15 remaining in the game. The Deacons started their final drive of the day at their own 25 as Newman drove them to the one-yard line behind completions of 49 and 20 yards to senior Alex Bachman, the latter giving Wake Forest a first and goal at the Memphis one. Newman scored the final touchdown, his third of the game, on a one-yard run with 34 seconds left to play. Wake Forest had to overcome a 28-10 deficit after the Tigers returned an interception and a kickoff for touchdowns in the second quarter. The Deacons rallied, as they did all season, scoring 20 unanswered points to take a 30-28 lead late in the third quarter behind a pair of Newman touchdown runs of 1 and 17 yards. Newman earned MVP honors while Bachman finished with seven receptions for a career-high 171 yards. Freshman Nick Sciba was perfect on three field goal attempts including a career-long of 49 yards and contributed 13 of Wake Forest's 37 points. Junior Justin Strnad led the defense with 11 tackles and senior Demetrius Kemp recorded Wake Forest's lone interception.

2019 Pinstripe Bowl -- December 27, 2019

Wake Forest, 21; Michigan State, 27
- Wake Forest's record-setting offense started off the New Era Pinstripe Bowl like it started many games in 2019, by scoring on its opening drive. The Deacs scored on a Kendall Hinton 29-yard touchdown reception to grab the early 7-0 lead. Michigan State answered and went ahead 10-7 on a field goal and a tipped-pass interception returned for a touchdown. The Deacons regained the lead in the second quarter when breakout freshman wide receiver Donavon Greene gave Wake Forest a 14-10 lead when he made an acrobatic, one-handed catch in the end zone, a catch that was the No. 7 play of the day on that night's SportsCenter. After MSU went up 17-14 midway through the second quarter, Wake Forest regained the lead when Jack Freudenthal scored on a 44-yard touchdown reception. A late Spartan field goal left the Deacs with a 21-20 halftime advantage. Michigan State regained the lead with a short pass that gave the Spartans a 27-21 advantage early in the third quarter, which would prove to be the final tally of the game. Following a Michigan State missed field goal with three minutes left in the fourth quarter that would have iced the game, there wasn't a soul in Yankee Stadium that didn't believe the Wake Forest offense would engineer another game-winning, last-second drive, just as it did in the 2017 Belk Bowl and 2018 Birmingham Bowl. But the drive stalled and the Deacons' hopes were dashed.

2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl -- Dec. 30, 2020

Wake Forest 28; Wisconsin 42
- The Wake Forest football team fell to Wisconsin, 42-28, in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Wednesday afternoon. The Deacs are now 15-12 all-time in neutral site games played in Charlotte. It snapped a three-game winning streak in the Queen City that included 2017 Belk Bowl and 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl wins. A four-game winning streak in October highlighted the Demon Deacons' run to a program record fifth-straight bowl appearance. The streak is the third longest in the ACC, trailing just Clemson and Miami (FL). Redshirt junior wide receiver Jaquarii Roberson continued to cement his season as one of the best in Wake Forest history. The Murfreesboro, N.C. native caught a touchdown on his first three targets in the game, setting a new career best.With 131 yards in the game, he became just the third player in program history to have four consecutive 100-yard receiving games, which also tied a program record. He joined Chris Givens in 2011 and Wayne Baumgardner in 1979 who each had streaks of four in their respective seasons. Despite playing in just nine games this season, Roberson jumped into the top-10 in single season receiving yards. His 926 receiving yards in 2020 is 10th in Wake Forest history. He became the fourth receiver in the last three seasons to crack into the top 10, joining Sage Surratt, Greg Dortch and Kendall Hinton.

2021 Gator Bowl -- Dec. 31, 2021

Wake Forest 38; Rutgers 10
- The 2021 Wake Forest football team capped off its historic season on New Year's Eve, defeating Big Ten foe Rutgers in the 77th annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl 38-10 inside TIAA Bank Field on Friday. No. 17 Wake Forest (11-3, 7-1 ACC) became just the second team in program history to win double-digit games and tied the program record with 11 victories while also setting a program record with seven conference victories and finished the home season with a perfect 6-0 mark. Head Coach Dave Clawson became the first coach in program history to win four bowl games as all four titles have come during the Deacs current six-game bowl appearance streak. This run ranks as the second-longest in the ACC, trailing just Clemson. The Deacs forced Rutgers (5-8, 2-7 Big Ten) to turn the ball over twice as Zion Keith and Gavin Holmes snared their first interceptions of the season. The Deacs limited the Scarlet Knights to just 271 total yards in the game, including 106 yards rushing. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Hartman ended his historic single-season campaign with Gator Bowl MVP honors. The Charlotte, N.C. native tossed three touchdown passes in the game and threw for 304 yards. Fellow redshirt sophomore A.T. Perry collected 10 of Hartman's passes for 127 yards and pulled in his 15th touchdown reception of the season, tied for the fifth most in conference history. Seniors Traveon Redd and Luke Masterson led Wake Forest's defense with seven tackles apiece in their final game in the Old Gold & Black.

Wake Forest Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Justice Ellison

Jack Freudenthal

Donavon Greene

Sam Hartman

Kendall Hinton

Gavin Holmes

Zion Keith

Luke Masterson

Jamie Newman

A.T. Perry

Traveon Redd

Jaquarii Roberson

Nick Sciba

Ryan Smenda, Jr.

Justin Strnad

Sage Surratt

Scotty Washington

Ke'Shawn Williams

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